{"id":10913,"date":"2017-01-17T01:01:17","date_gmt":"2017-01-17T09:01:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=10913"},"modified":"2017-03-01T09:27:55","modified_gmt":"2017-03-01T17:27:55","slug":"100-ceos-unite-for-public-lands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/news\/100-ceos-unite-for-public-lands","title":{"rendered":"100 CEOs Unite for Public Lands"},"content":{"rendered":"

March 1, 2017 update:\u00a0Today,<\/em>\u00a0Congressman Ryan Zinke was confirmed as Secretary of the Interior. He replaces Sally Jewell, our former CEO, who was a staunch supporter of public lands. More than 200 CEOs have signed the letter below.<\/em><\/p>\n

This afternoon, the Trump administration\u2019s nominee for Secretary of the Interior, Congressman Ryan Zinke, will take part in his confirmation hearing.<\/p>\n

REI helped lead the effort to draft and sign the letter below because we believe this is an important time to stand up for our 16 million members, who come from every corner of the country and political spectrum. Public lands are a cornerstone of the American way of life, and the next generation should be as free to roam these magnificent places as we are today.<\/p>\n

To our elected officials and those who value America\u2019s great outdoors:<\/p>\n

This open letter expresses the view of more than 100 leaders of large and small businesses in the outdoor industry, which contributes more than $650 billion annually to the U.S. economy, generates $80 billion in tax revenue and employs more than 6 million people. Together, we represent a huge range of activities \u2013 from hiking to hunting and camping to conservation.<\/p>\n

Our businesses make the lives of everyday Americans, from every corner of the political spectrum, healthier and happier. We do not often unite as an industry in the way we are today, but we are compelled to make clear our collective view on a vitally important issue that affects the economic health of our industry, our local communities, and the lives of all Americans.<\/p>\n

It is an American right to roam in our public lands. The people of the United States, today and tomorrow, share equally in the ownership of these majestic places. This powerful idea transcends party lines and sets our country apart from the rest of the world. That is why we strongly oppose any proposal, current or future, that devalues or compromises the integrity of our national public lands.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yet as the 115th Congress begins, efforts are underway that threaten to undermine over one hundred years of public investment, stewardship and enjoyment of our national public lands. Stated simply, these efforts would be bad for the American people. They include the potential of national public lands being privatized or given to states who might sell them to the highest bidder. This would unravel courageous efforts by leaders from across the political spectrum up to the present day, including Jefferson, Lincoln and Roosevelt.<\/p>\n

This is not a red or blue issue. It is an issue that affects our shared freedoms. Public lands should remain in public hands.<\/strong><\/p>\n

We hold these views both as leaders of the outdoor industry \u2014 which creates significant economic value for this country \u2014 and as individuals who believe deeply that the next generation should be free to benefit from our national public lands as we and our families do today.<\/p>\n

The undersigned companies are therefore working together to ensure that all Americans maintain their right to our iconic national public lands and that it is not taken away.<\/p>\n

Outdoor Industry Association, Amy Roberts, Executive Director
\nAdventure 16. John D. Mead, President
\nAlpine Shop, Ltd., Russell Hollenbeck, President
\nAppalachian Outfitters, Mike & Karen Leffler, Owners
\nAscent Solar Technologies, Victor Lee, President & CEO
\nBackbone Media, Penn Newhard, Founder & Managing Partner
\nBackcountry, Jonathan Nielsen, CEO
\nBackcountry North, Tracy Mayer, Owner
\nBackwoods Retail, Inc., Jennifer Mull, Owner & CEO
\nBenchmade Knife Company, David Fee, Vice President
\nBioLite, Jonathan Cedar, Founder & CEO
\nBlack Creek Outfitters, Joe & Liz Butler, Owners
\nBlack Diamond Equipment Ltd., John Walbrecht, President
\nBraided River, Helen Cherullo, Executive Director
\nBrook Hopper Consulting, Brook Hopper, Founder & CEO
\nBrooks Running, Jim Weber, CEO
\nCampmate, Chris Holt, CEO
\nCascade Designs, David Burroughs, President
\nCedar Ravine, Stephanie Carmi & Christine Stahr, Co-Founders
\nChaco, Seth Cobb, President
\nChampaign Surplus, Dan & Shira Epstein, Owners
\nClif Bar & Company, Kevin Cleary, CEO
\nColumbia Sportswear Company, Tim Boyle, President & CEO
\nCombat Flip Flops, Matthew Griffin, CEO
\nConcept III Textiles, Christopher Parkes, President
\nConfluence Watersports, Sue Rechner, President & CEO
\nDakine, Ken Meidell, CEO
\nDarn Tough Vermont, Ric Cabot, President & CEO
\nDenali, Chris Howe, Owner
\nDiamond Brand Outdoors, Will Gay, Owner
\nDPS Skis, Stephen Drake, Owner
\nEagle Creek, Roger Spatz, President
\nEastside Sports, Chris Iversen & Todd Vogel, Co-Owners
\neGrips, Chris Klinke, President
\nEquinox Ltd., Robert Cross, President
\nExxel Outdoors, LLC, Harry Kazazian, CEO
\nElevenpine, Jeff Curran, CEO
\nFar Bank Enterprises, Travis Campbell, President & CEO
\nFeral Mountain Co., Jimmy Funkhouser, Owner
\nFirst Lite, Kenton Carruth, Co-Founder and Owner
\nFishpond, John Land Le Coq, Founder & CEO
\nFlowfold, James Morin, Owner & COO
\nGarmont, Bill Dodge, CEO
\nGoal Zero, William Harmon, General Manager
\nGrassroots Outdoor Alliance, Rich Hill, President
\nGreat Outdoor Provision Co., Travis Zarins, Owner
\nGU Energy Labs, Brian Vaughan, Founder\/CEO
\nHipCamp, Alyssa Ravasio, Founder & CEO
\nHippyTree, Andrew Sarnecki, Founder\/CEO
\nHydro Flask, Scott Allen, General Manager
\nIbex Outdoor Clothing, Ted Manning, CEO
\nIceMule Coolers, James Collie, Founder\/CEO
\nIdaho Mountain Touring, Chris & Jill Haunold, Owners
\nIPA Connect, Andy Marker, President\/Founder
\nJanSport, Steve Munn, President
\nJax Mercantile Co., Jim Quinlan, President
\nKammok, Haley Robison, CEO
\nKEEN, Casey Sheahan, CEO
\nKlean Kanteen, Jim Osgood, President & CEO
\nKokatat, Steve O\u2019Meara, Founder\/CEO
\nKuhl, Kevin Boyle, President
\nLa Sportiva N.A., Inc., Jonathan Lantz, President
\nLight Speed Outdoors, Brian Cox, CEO
\nL.L. Bean, Stephen Smith, President & CEO
\nLucy, Laurie Etheridge, President
\nManzanita Outdoor LLC, David Wheeler, Owner
\nMassey\u2019s Outfitters, Mike Massey, President
\nMerrell, Inc., Jim Zwiers, President
\nMiiR, Bryan Pap\u00e9, Founder & CEO
\nMONTANE, Jake Doxat, Managing Director
\nMountain Hardwear, Dennis Randall, CMO
\nMountain Khakis, Ross Saldarini, President
\nMountain Safety Research (MSR), Chris Parkhurst, Vice President
\nMountain Works, Inc., Jim Smith, President
\nMTI Adventurewear, Lili Colby, Owner
\nMy Outdoor Alphabet, Seth Neilson, CEO
\nNative Eyewear, John Sanchez, General Manager
\nNau International, Inc., Mark Galbraith, General Manager
\nNemo, Cam Brensinger, CEO
\nNew Balance, Rob DeMartini, President & CEO
\nNikwax North America, Rick Meade, President
\nOboz Footwear, John Connelly, CEO
\nOru Kayak, Roberto Gutierrez, Founder & CCO
\nOrvis, Perk Perkins, CEO
\nOsprey, Layne Rigney, President
\nOutdoor Research, Dan Nordstrom, CEO
\nOutside Brands \/ Outside Hilton Head, Mike Overton, CEO
\nPack & Paddle, John Williams, President
\nPack Rat Outdoor Center, Scott & Carolyn Crook, Founders & Owners
\nPacktowl, Doug Jacot, Vice President
\nPatagonia, Rose Marcario, President & CEO
\nPeak Design, Peter Dering, Founder & CEO
\nPetzl America, Nazz Kurth, President
\nPiragis Northwoods Company, Steve Piragis, Owner
\nPistil Designs, Todd Douglass, Forrest Jones & Pete Hixson, Founders
\nPlatypus, Doug Jacot, Vice President
\nPoint6, Peter Duke, CEO
\nPortland WoolenMills, Doug Hoschek & Tina Machuca, Owners
\nprAna Living, Scott Kerslake, CEO
\nRamsey Outdoor, Stuart and Michael Levine, Owners
\nREI Co-op, Jerry Stritzke, President & CEO
\nRed Lantern Journeys, Ambrose Bittner, Founder & Managing Director
\nRedington, Travis Campbell, President & CEO
\nRio, Travis Campbell, President & CEO
\nRising Tide Associates, David Costello, Principal
\nRiver Sports Outfitters, Ed McAlister, Owner
\nRoads Rivers and Trails, Emily White, Co-Founder & Owner
\nRock Creek Outfitters, Dawson Wheeler, Founder
\nRoots Rated, Fynn Glover, Founder\/CEO
\nRoyal Robbins, Michael Millenacker, CEO
\nRuffwear, Patrick Kruse, R&D Director & Founder
\nRutabaga Paddlesports, Darren Bush, Owner & CEO
\nrygr, Brian Holcombe, Principal
\nSage, Travis Campbell, President & CEO
\nSalewa North America, Brian Mecham, General Manager
\nSanitas Sales Group, Keith Reis, President
\nSCARPA North America, Kim Miller, CEO
\nSealLine, Doug Jacot, Vice President
\nSimms, K.C. Walsh, President & CEO
\nSkinny Skis, Phil Leeds & Scott O\u2019Brien, Owners
\nSoar Communications, Chip Smith, President
\nSorel, Mark Nenow, President
\nStanley PMI, Kelly Kraus, Vice President, Stanley Brand
\nStio, Stephen Sullivan, Founder\/ CEO
\nSummit Hut, Dana Davis, President & Co-Owner
\nSunday Afternoons, Inc., Sarah Sameh, CEO
\nSunlight Sports, Wes Allen, Owner
\nSuperfeet Worldwide, John Rauvola, CEO
\nTahoe Mountain Sports, Dave Polivy, Co-Owner
\nTenkara USA, Daniel Galhardo, Founder & CEO
\nTerra, PR, Alli Noland, Founder
\nThe Base Camp, Scott Brown, Owner
\nThe Mountaineer, Vinny McClelland, President
\nThe North Face, Scott Baxter, Group President
\nThe Outbound Collective, Brian Heifferon, Founder & CEO
\nThe Trail Head, Todd Frank, Owner
\nThe Toggery, Trek Stephens, President
\nTherm-a-Rest Brands, Doug Jacot, Vice President
\nTimberland, Jim Pisani, President
\nToad&Co, Gordon Seabury, CEO (& OIA board chair)
\nTopo Athletic, Tony Post, Founder & CEO
\nTrail Creek Outfitters, Ed Camelli & Brian Havertine, Owners
\nTrango, Chris Klinke, President
\nTravel Country, Mike Plante, Owner
\nTrek Light Gear, Seth Haber, Founder & CEO
\n22 Designs, Chris Valiante, Owner
\nUte Mountaineer, Bob Wade & Maile Spung, Owners
\nVans, Doug Palladini, President
\nVerde Brand Communications, Kristin Carpenter-Ogden, President and Founder
\nVF Corporation, Steve Rendle, President & CEO
\nWeighmyrack, Allison Dennis, Founder & CEO
\nWestern Spirit Cycling, Ashley Korenblat, CEO
\nWhat’s UP Public Relations, Beth L. Cochran, Founder\/Owner
\nWild Things, LLC, Edward M. Schmults, CEO
\nWolverine Worldwide, Inc., Blake Krueger, CEO
\nWoolrich, Inc., Nick Brayton, President
\nYakima Products, Ryan Martin, CEO
\nZumiez, Inc., Tom Campion, Founder & Chairman<\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

March 1, 2017 update:\u00a0Today,\u00a0Congressman Ryan Zinke was confirmed as Secretary of the Interior. He replaces Sally Jewell, our former CEO, who was a staunch supporter of public lands. More than 200 CEOs have signed the letter below. This afternoon, the Trump administration\u2019s nominee for Secretary of the Interior, Congressman Ryan Zinke, will take part in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":10915,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[685],"tags":[692,656],"internal-tag":[],"class_list":["post-10913","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-news","tag-public-lands"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/rei.com\/blog\/news\/100-ceos-unite-for-public-lands","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"100 CEOs Unite for Public Lands","url":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/news\/100-ceos-unite-for-public-lands","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/news\/100-ceos-unite-for-public-lands"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/01\/Content-112216-0098.jpg?resize=150%2C150","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/01\/Content-112216-0098.jpg?fit=1500%2C1000"},"articleSection":"News","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Paolo Mottola"}],"creator":["Paolo Mottola"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Uncommon Path \u2013 An REI Co-op Publication","logo":""},"keywords":["news","public lands"],"dateCreated":"2017-01-17T09:01:17Z","datePublished":"2017-01-17T09:01:17Z","dateModified":"2017-03-01T17:27:55Z"},"rendered":"